Raspberry Pistachio Cake with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

a cake that’s well worth the effort, with lots of tips to simplify or make it entirely your own.

If you’re interested in making this cake (or at least seeing what goes into it), I recommend reading this before jumping into the (quite long) ingredient list and steps. There are several components—mostly because I wanted to go all out and make it as delicious and fun as possible—but I want you to know you should feel free to make it your own and swap things as needed. If you’re making this for a special occasion, then why not go all out. But if you’re making it just because, or want something elevated but a little simpler, you can definitely leave a few things out without sacrificing too much flavor or look.

Let’s get into it: this is a layered pistachio cake filled with whipped white chocolate ganache and macerated raspberries, all covered in a layer of Swiss meringue buttercream. I kept the decoration simple with a crown of fresh raspberries on top.

If you’re making the white chocolate ganache, just plan ahead—it ideally needs to chill in the fridge overnight. You can make it the same day in a pinch, but it won’t be as stable to whip or use since the gelatin won’t have fully done its job.

Here are a few ways to simplify:

• Skip the white chocolate ganache and double the SMBC recipe—use it to both fill and frost the cake.

• If you still want the white chocolate flavor, skip the SMBC and either go for a naked cake or use thinner layers of whipped ganache to fill and frost. You’ll need about half the ganache to frost, which works great since the full recipe makes quite a bit.

Want to make it more budget-friendly?

• This recipe calls for 3 (½ pint) packs of raspberries, which are $$—you can swap the macerated berries for jam or decorate with chopped pistachios instead of the two packs on top.

• Pistachios are also expensive—if you don’t mind skipping the flavor, sub in an extra ½ cup (60 g) of flour and leave them out entirely.

pistachio cake batter & whipped white chocolate ganache

Additional tips & tricks:

• If the buttercream curdles or seizes, just gently reheat it over simmering water until the butter melts, then chill until mostly set and re-whip. You can also use it right away or store in the fridge for up to a week. Bring it to room temp and re-whip if needed.

• You can make all the other components in advance to make assembly easier: wrap each cake layer and freeze until ready to use. Thaw at room temp. Make the ganache a few days ahead and whip when needed.

• I like assembling the whole cake the day before and storing it in the fridge until serving—this gives the cake layers time to soak up those raspberry juices and makes slicing easier.